10/26/2011

Winthrop Students Compete in “Battle of the Brains” at Georgia Southern

Quick Facts

The “Battle of the Brains” contest will bring the smartest IT talent from the region to Georgia Southern University on Oct. 29.

The team that solves the most problems correctly in the least amount of time will win a coveted spot on the World Finals roster.

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Will Thacker

ROCK HILL, S.C. – A team of Winthrop students is working together to build their mental endurance and speed in anticipation of an upcoming test on Oct. 29.

This isn’t mid-terms or finals – it’s for the 36th annual IBM-Sponsored Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest.

The “Battle of the Brains” contest will bring the smartest IT talent from the region to Georgia Southern University for the Southeast USA regional contest

Winthrop will send one team - Brandon Clopton, James D’Aniello, Ryan Nikin-Beers and alternate Bethany Ritter – to compete for a spot as one of the 100 teams to attend the World Finals in Warsaw, Poland on May 14-18, 2012, according to advisor Will Thacker, associate professor of computer science.

This year’s regional competitions are expected to attract tens of thousands of students from universities in approximately 90 countries on six continents, all with the same dream to walk away with awards, scholarships, job opportunities, prizes, and, of course, bragging rights to the holy grail of programming: the “World’s Smartest Trophy.”

On Oct. 29, the teams of three students will apply their programming skills to solve complex, real world problems under a grueling five-hour deadline. Organizers said tackling these problems is equivalent to completing a semester’s worth of computer programming in one afternoon.

The team that solves the most problems correctly in the least amount of time will win a coveted spot on the World Finals roster.

Others competing at Georgia Southern are: Armstrong Atlantic State University, Bob Jones University, Clemson University, College of Charleston, Columbus State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Mercer University, Morehouse College, The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina and Wofford College

For more information, please contact the Office of University Relations at 803/323-2236.

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